Airmen gain new perspectives at Marine Corps leadership school

Four Airmen added a unique line to their military resumes by graduating from the Marine Staff NCO Advanced Course here, Feb. 26.

Master Sergeants Rolando Barrera, Ryan Bloom, Cleveland Ford, and Chris Wild each gained valuable experiences and take-aways they hope to incorporate into their Air Force lives.

"It was an honor and privilege to be selected to come to this course and to sit in class among these highly disciplined warriors and I've learned a lot over the past two months," said Barrera, a sensor operator with 17th Reconnaissance Squadron, Creech Air Force Base, Nevada. "I truly believe I'm better off leading young men and women on the battle field -- not only boots on the ground -- but as it applies to how we fly remotely piloted aircraft."

"The physical fitness was outstanding. I was able to do some things I didn't know I could accomplish. For example, I was able to run three miles while carrying a 30-pound ammo can. It really did surprise me."

Bloom, a special mission operator with the 347th Rescue Group, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, said there was a great deal of networking among Marines and he got a fist-hand look at how the Corps does business. Some of their processes could be benchmarked and molded and shaped into the other service communities.

"The Marines use the same form for officer and enlisted performance reports and that might be something different for the Air Force to use," he said.

Being on a Marine Corps based was something of a cross-cultural study for the Airmen.
"Their focus on fitness is far higher," Bloom said. "On one of the obstacle courses it seemed like there was a pull up bar every 100 feet."

Ford, representing the Logistics Readiness Squadron at Moody AFB, said his initial impression was that the course was going to concentrate on meeting Marine physical fitness standards.

"But once I got started, I had a great experience," he said. "I was able to develop a perspective of the way they do things verses the way the Air Force does. I learned leadership is universal and that we all have the ability to influence people by maintaining our professionalism at all times."

At 48 years old, Wild was his service's "elder statesman." The average age of the class was 32 and the youngest student was 26, which Wild noted is younger than his own children.

A C-130 loadmaster with the 908th Airlift Wing, Maxwell AFB, Alabama, Wild said there was a noticeable hush when he was called out of the room to sign a waiver required for attendees 45 or older. Some of the instructors laughed now and then while they were doing PT, but after he broke two ribs on the confidence course and still finished, nobody in the class said a word about his age.

Wild, who has deployed multiple times as a reservist, said that each time, there were occasions where his C-130 crew would have the honor of transporting Marines.

"I, like most, have always been thoroughly impressed with the military professionalism, discipline, and the ‘can-do’ attitude they carry with them," he said. "I hoped to get a glimpse of how a Marine was built. This class was my chance and it paid off."

"Throughout the course, we've been taught that it's our responsibility as senior enlisted members to lead, and to do it with a keen sense of understanding and support of our commander's intent. It's our job to show those we supervise how their duties tie into the bigger picture and affect the mission. It's not just our responsibility to keep our officers and commanders informed, but to do so with brutal honesty."

"When asked for our opinions we should to draw on our experiences and provide it professionally," he said.

"The Air Force members always seem to do very well in our courses," said Gunnery Sgt. Alex Torres, a faculty advisor for the advance course. "I think it was awesome that we get the different perspectives with another service represented in the class."

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